BY MOHINDER SINGHNarendra Modi began a new era in India on 26 May, 2014. It is not correct and adequate to say that Modi has be-gun a new chapter. A chapter is something small, whereas an era may comprise many chapters of different historical events, memorable diverse occasions and lasting attempts, efforts and attainments.

Regional Bonhomie: SAARC leaders at the Rashtrapati Bhavan

Heavyweights: Modi and ministers Rajnath, Sushma, Jaitley

The new Modi era commenced with winning 282 Lok Sabha seats of his own BJP and 335 members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Modi announced a slogan of minimum government and maximum governance. The first government of Modi’s new era started with 45 ministers as against a crowd of 77 ministers of previous governments.Modi’s open and grand swearing-in-ceremony created a diplomatic coupe and took a diplomatic lead. Modi invited heads of the SAARC nations to attend his swearing-in-ceremony. It is for the first time that India invited the heads of state of the entire eight-nation south Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to the ceremony. Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, Bhutan Prime Minister Tsheringh Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Bangaladesh Speaker Sharmin Chaudhry attended the ceremony. 3,000 dignitaries also attended the event. Modi also announced that the first country he will visit would be the neighboring Bangladesh.